Gov. John Hickenlooper on Thursday signed an executive order that makes the use of private fireworks illegal and bans open burning. The order was signed because conditions across the state are very dry and the fire danger is at extreme levels in many counties.

The guy in the house behind me was burning a fire in one of those big steel pit things last night, and the fire dept showed up and told him there is an open fire Ban... told him he could use his indoor fireplace, but not that pit thing, even with a grate... he is not a developed CAMP/PICNIC/Recreation site.... So no open fire in the city of centennial.....

As of noon Tuesday, Springer Fire size [fire near Eleven Mile Reservoir west of Divide] is estimated at 1100 acres. Fire is 10% contained. So far it has been stopped at the South Platte River. Fire danger is EXTREME for today and tomorrow. Any small fire can become a large fire very quickly. Winds for today are West - SW at 10-20mph. The fire had laid down well last night and had low activity this morning. Yesterday’s fire movement was mostly to East and Southeast rather than toward Northeast, not sure what it will do today.

An abandoned campfire about a quarter mile from the Weber Fire started a new fire today called “Weber 2”. Crews are on scene.
Two more abandoned campfire incidents have been extinguished north of Woodland Park, one cigarette butt initiated fire put out near Divide.

The guy in the house behind me was burning a fire in one of those big steel pit things last night, and the fire dept showed up and told him there is an open fire Ban... told him he could use his indoor fireplace, but not that pit thing, even with a grate... he is not a developed CAMP/PICNIC/Recreation site.... So no open fire in the city of centennial.....

True, chimineas and fire pits are not legal to use in the city of Denver either. Currently BBQ pits are OK. Little known fact is that you technically have to have a permit for an open fire in the city all the time, not just during fire bans.

We camped at Steamboat Lake State Park last weekend. Yes there were fires allowed in the fire rings, they sold wood at the Marina, couldn't tell there was any sort of heightened fire awareness, other than I've never camped in an area as well patrolled as that one, saw a ranger every 2 hours, minimum. Not sure why, none of them ever asked for my fishing license which I thought for sure would have happened at least once.

As I was setting up a woman a few camps over came by and started talking to me, she was interested in this fancy awning contraption I had on my vehicle.. anyway she said they got a ticket the night before at 12:45. They had been in bed for 2 hours, the park rangers were going around turning over logs in fire pits, and they found a warm spot one one of the logs in their fire pit. She had poured 2 gallons of water on it, the other side of the log was soaking in a puddle.. apparently her incessant screaming got herself out of the ticket. I found that somewhat interesting, felt like some over-the-top policing to me, but hey I'm no fireman. We emptied the full 7-gallon jug on ours each night, was actually interesting to see how you could keep stirring it and overturn new hot spots even long after it had been submerged. I've never put that much water on a camp fire, but wth we were right next to the spigot.

This was not really camping, IMO, by most standards. it's families pulling trailers setting up on flat gravel with a paved driveway. No brush, no trees, just you & the wind, and kids riding bikes. Being by the lake made it fun though, otherwise not really my thing, other than was cool seeing our 3yo daughter dial in the coasting thing on her Strider bike.